The two countries signed a memorandum of understanding in Suva on Monday.

Fiji and China also inked a separate agreement on economic cooperation and aid provisions.

The Cook Islands will also sign on to the initiative, also known as One Belt One Road, in time for the APEC summit in Papua New Guinea this week, Finance Minister Mark Brown told RNZ Pacific last week.

In July, Niue joined the agreement in a signing ceremony in Auckland.

Observers said other Pacific Island countries are set to join Belt and Road at APEC, where China's President Xi Jinping is set to unveil "important measures for further cooperation" in the region.